Denmark Will Plant 1 Billion Trees, Convert 10% Farmland Into Forest

An anonymous reader quotes a report from the Associated Press: Danish lawmakers on Monday agreed on a deal to plant 1 billion trees and convert 10% of farmland into forest and natural habitats over the next two decades in an effort to reduce fertilizer usage. The government called the agreement "the biggest change to the Danish landscape in over 100 years." Under the agreement, 43 billion kroner ($6.1 billion) have been earmarked to acquire land from farmers over the next two decades, the government said.

Danish forests would grow on an additional 250,000 hectares (618,000 acres), and another 140,000 hectares (346,000 acres), which are currently cultivated on climate-damaging low-lying soils, must be converted to nature. Currently, 14.6% of land is covered by forests. [...] In June, the government said livestock farmers will be taxed for the greenhouse gases emitted by their cows, sheep and pigs from 2030, the first country to do so as it targets a major source of methane emissions, one of the most potent gases contributing to global warming.

Best bacon

[dwater]

Danish bacon is the best. I guess we'll need to pay more, soon.

No, Danish bacon grows on trees

[thesjaakspoiler]

Everbody knows that, right.

Re:

[Valgrus Thunderaxe]

There's some kind of cognitive dissonance regarding eating bacon and planting trees for environmental reasons, I think.

This insanity will lead to starvation

[sinij]

It is insane to penalize efficient farmers, because food will still have to be grown somewhere, only that somewhere unlikely to be as efficient AND will have to be transported further AND now disruptions to international supply chain can lead to food shortages.

Re:This insanity will lead to starvation

[Drishmung]

Denmark is the only country in the Nordic-Baltic region that is a net exporter of agricultural products, producing three times the amount of food it needs for self-sufficiency. [trade.gov] [trade.gov Last published date: 2024-01-20] so it seems that for the Danes, at least, this likely won't make a huge difference. And from later on that page:

Denmark’s main annual agricultural imports from the United States are wood pellets (USD 156 million),... which would be addressed nicely by a billion tress I imagine.

Re:

[snookiex]

I think you are completely missing the point. Their food surplus is not just being dumped. Someone consumes it, now this someone will have to source this food from some other, most likely, less efficient producer, so if the Danes think this is helping the environment, there are high chances it isn't, and worst-case scenario, it will make it worse.

Re:

[ArchieBunker]

What are you talking about? Developed countries waste incredible amounts of food.

Re:

[Firethorn]

Okay, so does them having to buy from somewhere else going to somehow reduce the waste?
I mean, if they switch to Africa or such, the waste might go up due to longer distances and time.

Missed the point - Political realignment goal

[will4]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

These types of limit the rural economy legal and regulatory pushes are to shift the political power further towards the urban centers and reduce political power from the rural areas.

The question I'd ask is: OK, now that farm animals are no longer raised in the country, what is the next agricultural product you want to ban?

Speculation: Turn the country from a self-sufficiency in food to a net food importer so to restructure large parts of the economy and get the "money in mot